While other kids focused on the fads of the time, a young Robert was fascinated by the past. But that’s no surprise when you have a WW1 veteran for a dad, and your playgrounds are the historic sites of Kimberley, BC—a town in the Kootenays with a storied and rich industrial past.

Robert’s thirst for historical knowledge grew stronger in high school, where he absorbed every bit of information about ancient history and the Industrial Revolution. For him, learning about the past meant getting a glimpse into another era, its people, and why places today are the way they are. As Robert says, “Communities are built on the legacy of its past and its residents.”

Since 1980, Robert has lived with his wife in Port Moody. Ask him how he ended up there, and he will be the first to admit that it was a bit of an accident. After a drive through the community, he and his wife stumbled upon their dream house. That, combined with the fact that they had family nearby and their strong unwillingness to cross any bridges on their daily commutes—meant they were moving to Port Moody. A place they have never left. Robert has since become a key member of the city, participating in many activities, including PoMoArts, the Port Moody Police Board, Port Moody Foundation and, fittingly, the Port Moody Heritage Society. Here, he has played a pivotal role in preserving and protecting the area’s history. An advocacy role that allows him to listen, learn, and connect deeper with the place he calls home.

Diving into Port Moody’s history has also brought opportunities for Robert to reflect on his own past. Bringing up nostalgic feelings like the excitement for trains he felt as a youngster when learning of Port Moody’s role as Canadian Pacific Railway’s first western terminus. Or the fond memories he had on family trips to Northwestern BC, where he visited several indigenous communities—trips that inspired Robert to seek more information of the shared, ancestral and traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples.

Whether he is burying himself in history books or listening to people’s stories, Robert believes taking an interest in the past is a way to honour the people who helped shape today’s communities.

Equally important is embracing the future.

And why Robert is tirelessly working to find solutions where both can exist harmoniously. “Change is ever present and will occur over time. What needs to be remembered is the past on which the community was built,” he states. “As you see a community evolve, you have to capture and protect that information, knowing that physical elements are the most vulnerable in being lost and forgotten.”

Ask Robert what his future holds, and he says, “I will continue to be an advocate in work to recall, protect, preserve, and when possible, rehabilitate and revitalize Port Moody’s historical record and artifacts.” Robert knows that change is inevitable, but with considered steps—there can be a place for the past in the future.